Book of Pressed Flowers
by The Ginger Muffins
Summary: Cooro, Husky, Nana, and Senri come across a wandering musician in their travels, and somehow end up tangled in her affairs. Anima. Short series.
1. 1: Things That Sing

A/N: Here I go again. Roni of the Ginger Muffins, here! Yes, I'm starting something else. Isn't that smart of me? It's just a short series, though– something I've thought of and decided to write because... well, why not? Again, I'm trying to keep to canon as much as I can with my writing, so if you think something is out of place, please tell me. :3

Cooro, Husky, Senri, Nana, and the entire of Anima doesn't belong to me (duh), but rather Natsumi Mukai. Kudos to her for such a great work of art and storytelling. :3

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"Senri! Come on, you can look at the flowers later!" scolded Nana. The teenager had nearly been left behind (again), kneeling in a spot just off the road while the others, including Nana herself, had walked on. 

The foursome were in what was called Foggy Valley. It was a relatively charming place, with many fields of grass peppered with yellow flowers, much like the one the eldest of the group was presently looking at. He stooped over it, his eye transfixed upon it as if in a trance.

Cooro walked over to him, curious. "Do you like it, Senri?" he asked.

The boy nodded. "Pretty."

Cooro squatted in the grass, looking at the same blossom, while his Kim-un-kur friend rummaged his meager collection of possessions, eventually pulling out a small book. As he flipped through the pages, the other took notice. Whenever Senri took out his book, it was often important, though none of the three children ever really knew why. That's just how it was with him. "Do you have one like it?" the younger of the two guessed.

Senri gave no reply for a moment, still absorbed within the pages of pressed flowers. But then, he quietly closed it, a sigh and a shake of the head confirming that he didn't.

By then, the other pair had wandered over, waiting to continue on. "Come on you two." huffed Husky, "We don't have all day."

The black-haired boy stood up from his spot, looking out at the silhouette of Foggy Vil, the one town in the valley. "But we're so close!" he whined.

"We need all the time we can get to try and find some jobs." Husky reasoned, "We only have enough money left for one night's stay. Then we'll be stuck camping out again."

This, of course, proved to spur Nana on (as she never was fond of camping), and under her lead, the small band of Anima set off again.

Foggy Vil, unlike another town they had visited before, had remained a village since its founding, though a big one it had grown to be. Most of the houses clustered about the main street, and that's where most of the activity was. People and carts went back and forth along the dirt road, happily going about their grown-up business. Some children, smaller than Cooro or Nana, played a game of tag. The valley's namesake morning mist had drawn away, letting the noontime sun beam down upon the town. Soon, the air was delightfully warm.

Overall, it put the foursome in a pleasant mood, especially Cooro, who had been happy already. He skipped about, humming to himself, until Husky made him stop. At this the boy pouted for a moment, but came quickly back to his sunny self. It was something the fish Anima never could quite get. He had seen his companion down before, but in between those times, the kid seemed to be an unending fountain of cheer. And one that needed constant feeding, he was reminded as the brown-eyed boy proceeded to complain about being hungry.

"Not_now_, Cooro." he sighed, "We need to look for jobs first!"

"But_why_?"

At this, the older of the two had had it, and smacked his other over the head with his staff. "I already explained it to you!" he shouted angrily.

Nana had stood to the side during the entire exchange, her hands on her hips. _There they go again..._ she thought. She turned over to Senri, also quietly standing aside. However, instead of his normal distracted look, he seemed very intent on something. "What is it, Senri?" she asked him. Then, without the adolescent even giving any acknowledgment to his friend's question, she heard the answer.

Music. Somewhere, nearby, someone was playing something. It sounded like the strumming of strings, like with a guitar or something of that sort. The person was singing, too, though she couldn't hear the words. She was almost tempted to use her Anima to try and hear it better, but the amount of people about discouraged her. So, instead, she looked about, trying to find where the song was coming from.

"Over there." Nana turned around to see Cooro standing nearby, his tiff with Husky finished, one finger pointing out in front of him. "It's coming from over there."

Sure enough, through the throngs of people milling about, the could make out someone sitting against a building. Though he was far away, she could see he had something in his lap.

Before the bat Anima had any time to react, Cooro was off again, heading towards the musician. Quickly she sprang after him. "Cooro, wait!" she cried. Images of the boy pestering the person flew through her mind. However, once she got there, he had stopped, and was instead quietly standing by.

The musician was female. She had settled herself next to the door of the one inn in the town and was content to play. Nana stopped beside Cooro, cautiously standing by as the young woman played. She was half-aware of Husky and Senri coming in behind her as she listened.

_If a brother,_

_Needs a helping hand,_

_You give your's._

_If a sister,_

_Needs a shoulder to cry on,_

_You give your's._

_Doesn't matter,_

_What they did to you,_

_You help them_.

_Yet those,_

_Who did nothing,_

_Are denied that._

_Just because_

_Of one simple thing_

_They can't help._

_Who are we_

_To spread teachings_

_Of kindness_

_When we_

_Spread no kindness_

_To them?_

The singer's voice was actually really nice. But then again, Nana hadn't heard many people really sing. Cooro sang a lot, but his simple diddles of "_taking a bath, taking a bath..."_ weren't anything like this. The only thing like it that the could recall was when her mommy sang to her. She remembered her soft, comforting voice helping her sleep at night. It was sort of like that, but this person's voice was stronger, and maybe sadder.

The person stopped singing and the music descended until she ended it with one slow chord. Then, she looked up and jumped.

"O-oh, hi there!" she said, apparently startled. Her hazel eyes were wide around. "Sorry, I didn't see you. I, uh, kind of get caught up in my playing."

"It was really nice music, Miss!" said Cooro cheerfully.

The contagious nature of the boy's smile caught on, and soon the musician's lips also turned up, although she still had a shamefaced look. "That's a surprise..." she said quietly.

"Why?" But not quietly enough.

She looked up at the feathered boy in front of her, hesitation clear in her face. "Well, uh..." She froze up when she discovered four pairs of eyes staring at her, each one intent on hearing what she would say. Her own darted to each face as she frantically tried to come up with some excuse for not telling them. But then, when she came to the tallest of the four, she couldn't pull away. Her gaze locked onto his, and for a moment, everything stopped. All she could see was his one grey eye, looking at her as if he could see right through her.

And then it was gone. She blinked and glanced around. It was if nothing had happened. But then, the words spilled from her mouth before she could catch them and shove them back into the recesses of her mind. "It's about Anima."

Surprise of varying degrees crossed the children's faces. She was mortified to say the least, but she still kept going. "I-I wrote it myself, because I think all of this treating Anima badly is wrong and all that. I-I mean, they're still people, you know? They should be treated the same as any other person. I wanted to sort of spread that message."

"Well, that's not so bad." Cooro again.

"You might not think that, but there's those who do. I've gotten kicked out of town once or twice because of it." The singer looked down at her instrument, a guitar like Nana suspected, running her hands over the wood. It's only adornments were scratches.

"Why would you get kicked out simply for singing it, though?" said the girl, "I didn't know it was about Anima until you explained it to us."

The musician's face turned grave for a moment, even angry. "You must have come in the middle of the song, then. In the first two stanzas, I make it very clear who I'm talking about."

Husky finally had to put in his opinion. "If you made that song up just to talk about Anima, why are you so scared to, now? I doubt if you were so determined to do that, you wouldn't be so easily defeated."

"You'd be surprised." sighed the young woman. For a moment, all was silent between them, for each was lost in their own thoughts.

But then, Senri, who had remained quiet during everything (though that wasn't a surprise to his companions), suddenly stepped forward. Again, he shuffled with his belongings, this time, supplying a coin: five gillah. Without a word, he dropped it in the female's guitar case. Nana had seen it before: people rewarding musicians for their work by putting money in their case. However, the soft leather shell was completely empty, except for a flower– one that looked like those she saw in the field.

At once, the instrumentalist grabbed the coin and stood up, holding it in front of her. Nana realized then that she wasn't very old at all– nearly the same as the Kim-un-kur, judging simply by looks. "I don't take sympathy money." the young woman said, her expression firm.

But Senri didn't yield. He pushed back her hand. "Keep." he said, "Sing nice."

For a moment, the female looked surprised, even awed, and she withdrew her hand. But then, she shook it off, and sat down, unceremoniously tossing the coin back into the case. She took up her guitar again, giving the strings a couple adjustments. Finally, just before the foursome began to wonder if they should move on, she looked at them again, managing a semi-genuine smile. "Come on, sit down! You won't get yelled at or anything. People hang about here a lot."

For a moment, the four exchanged glances, surprised by the sudden change in the young woman, but then they lined up against the wall and settled down.

"So, do you have any requests?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Requests?" echoed Cooro.

"Any songs that you'd like me to play." the musician elaborated, "Though, I think it would be fair that the person who paid have first pick." She glanced over to Senri.

The bear Anima gave her a slightly confused look.

Nana spoke up for him. "I don't think Senri–"

But then, in his same, flat tone, he said, "Blackbird May."

Apparently, the young woman recognized it, because her face lit up instantly. "Gosh, I haven't played that song in... _years._ I think I might still remember it, though. Could you sing some of it for me? Might help some."

Senri looked distraught at that. "Can't sing."

"I don't believe you." said the singer, playfully defiant, "You can just hum, if you're so self-conscious. I can pick up on the words as I go along."

For a moment, she thought the boy wasn't going to go through with it, but then, she could hear a soft rumble coming from his throat. As she listened harder, she picked up his tune. "You might be a little off, I think, but I got you."

She strummed the strings of her instrument, trying out a few chords. Eventually, she found the ones she wanted, because she then ascended into a set pace, a slightly faster than that of her previous song. For a little while, she just played, bobbing her head with the music. But then she opened her mouth and began to sing.

_There was a blackbird with a broken wing,_

_Though that blackbird would still sing,_

_Sing more than any bird I passed by,_

_Even though that bird could not fly_.

_On springtime branch I saw him perched._

_To find his love, forward he lurched._

_But then he fell upon his wing,_

_So only mournful songs did he sing._

_Blackbird may,_

_Blackbird may,_

_Thought I,_

_When winter had been pushed away_,

_Blackbird may,_

_Fly some day,_

_Blackbird may._

_There was a blackbird with a broken wing,_

_Though that blackbird would still sing._

_Sing more than any bird I passed by,_

_Even though that bird could not fly._

_On summer worms he'd always feast,_

_In mornings when he dread no beast_.

_But when the night came he'd fear,_

_The cat's purr and fox's leer._

_Blackbird may,_

_Blackbird may,_

_Thought I,_

_When summer sun caught me astray,_

_Blackbird may,_

_Survive, I pray,_

_Blackbird may._

_There was a blackbird with a broken wing,_

_Though that blackbird would still sing._

_Sing more than any bird I passed by,_

_Even though that bird could not fly._

_When fall came, I was concerned,_

_For how to fly he hadn't learned._

_He must leave me with his friends,_

_Or in the winter meet his ends._

_Blackbird may,_

_Blackbird may,_

_Thought I,_

_When in fall's leaves I would lay,_

_Blackbird may,_

_Fly some day,_

_Blackbird may._

_There was a blackbird with a broken wing,_

_Though that blackbird would still sing._

_Sing more than any bird I passed by,_

_Even though that bird could not fly._

_When winter came, he was still there,_

_And I was worried how he'd fare._

_I hoped so much his strength would stay_,

_I prayed that he would be okay._

_Blackbird may,_

_Blackbird may,_

_Thought I,_

_When in winter's snow I'd play,_

_Blackbird may,_

_Survive, I pray,_

_Blackbird may._

_There was a blackbird with a broken wing,_

_Though that blackbird would still sing._

_Sing more than any bird I passed by,_

_Even though that bird could not fly._

_Springtime returned with him alive_

_Nested by where I would dive_

_And sang more than any bird I passed by,_

_Even though he still could not fly._

_Blackbird may,_

_Blackbird may,_

_Thought I,_

_When spring had chased winter away_,

_Blackbird may,_

_Fly some day,_

_Blackbird may._

_Blackbird may,_

_Blackbird may,_

_Survive I pray._

_Blackbird may,_

_Fly some day,_

_Even though,_

_He'd fly away._

_Blackbird may,_

_Blackbird may,_

_Fly some day._

When the musician ceased to play, everything was quiet for a moment. The young woman could faintly hear the noise of a wagon passing by, the door to the inn opening then closing again, a couple people bartering down the street. However, in the spot she and the other four sat, it was completely silent.

She was the first to break it. "Did I get it right?" she directed her question to Senri.

The boy had a far-off look on his face, but it soon landed, and he gave a nod. The singer heaved a sigh of relief. "That's good."

A growl broke through the brief pause. Many heads turned to Cooro, who grinned and laughed sheepishly. "Haha, sorry!"

Husky hid his face in his hands, sighing heavily. "Fine." he said, before the crow Anima began to ask, "We'll go get something to eat."

"Yay!"

The silver-haired boy shook his head, quickly getting up to run after his companion, who had promptly zoomed off in search of food. Nana nearly left to do the same, but then she turned around to face the musician. "Oh... we never asked your name, did we?" she said.

The older female looked up, again that surprised look crossing her face. It annoyed Nana. It was like she'd never treated nice before or something.

"Nell."

The younger blinked. "Huh?"

The singer smiled a little. "Nell. It's my name."

"Oh! I see." Nana smiled as well, "I'm Nana. The tallest, who gave you money is Senri, the black-haired one is Cooro, and then Husky."

Nell nodded, looking rather cheerful compared to before, but at the same time, somewhat anxious. The watched as she fidgeted, obviously trying to find a way to say something.

"Uh, well, do you mind if I join you?" she asked when she finally spat it out, "I've been wanting to get something to eat for a while, but I haven't had any money to get anything until just now." she looked over Nana's shoulder, "Thanks again for that."

The bat Anima glanced behind her to see Senri, who had apparently stayed behind while Husky and Cooro dashed off. Another look down the street revealed that they were still nearby, apparently waiting for their friends to join them.

The young pondered for a moment. She herself had never been fond of strangers, and what would Cooro and Husky think? Well, Cooro probably wouldn't mind either way, and Husky would probably protest simply because she was a . As she turned her eyes up at Senri, he returned the look, but gave no hint of an opinion. It was up to her, then.

Nell was nice, she thought, though she had learned many times before that people were often not as they appeared. She was still surprised that the musician had talked so much about her song and what she thought, even though it was obviously a hard subject. Though, she could remember an odd look coming across her face before she started...

"Alright." she said, trying to erase any unease from her face. She might as well. It wasn't as if she was traveling with them or anything. It was simply getting some food down the street.

Nell looked like Foggy Valley, right when all the mist had been drawn away and the sun poured in, brightening every crevice until the entire vale seemed golden. "Alright." she said, and though her mouth spoke the same word as Nana, she seemed to be saying something completely different.


	2. 2: Things That Might

A/N: Chapter 2 is up, finally! I don't have much to say for it other than it's now the end of the beginning! How fun is that? Look forward to more action in the next chapter! 8D

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Cooro, Husky, Senri, Nana, and the entire of Anima doesn't belong to me (duh), but rather Natsumi Mukai. Kudos to her for such a great work of art and storytelling. :3

The food destination was quickly decided by Cooro. He followed his nose all the way from the inn to a small booth down the road. Juicy meats sizzled on metal mesh, next to what looked like zucchini and peppers. The smell of charcoal permeated the air. "Ooh, ooh, let's go there!" the brown-eyed boy shouted.

Husky looked up at the sign. "_Kebabs, forty-five pillah per stick_", it read. Seemed reasonable. The ten-year-old wasn't the fondest of heavy food like that, but the price made up for it. He gave his consent to the purchase, which delighted his gluttonous friend. He probably ordered enough kebabs for all of them.

Nana found herself again by Nell. Part of her was irked that she was left with the musician again, but part of her was glad to have a around. It had been a while since they last ran into Rose, a cat Anima and a friend of their's that they met a while back. They hadn't seen her since the incident with her little brother in Maggie Vil.

Nell kind of reminded her of Rose. She was a peddler, and traveled a lot like her, except the musician sold songs rather than wares. Nell also seemed pretty like Rose. Her clothes were all tattered and dust-colored, but her face was clear of dirt, and might have once been a nice white before the sun browned it. Her hair was a simple brown, but it was pulled back into a neat braid. And her eyes... her eyes were bright and clear, looking ready to take on the world, despite her strong nervous impression. They were both the kind of pretty people didn't notice at first glance.

The singer suddenly stirred from her thoughts, catching the staring at her. "What?" she asked, concerned.

"Ah... oh, nothing!" said the bat Anima quickly.

"Oh... okay." was Nell's reply. She seemed to either have accepted the answer, or missed it completely. Her face said she had something on her mind.

Both Cooro and Senri had ordered when she finally spoke up. "Uh, Nana?" she said.

The girl looked back. "Yes?"

"Your friend, Senri?" the musician paused, and the other nodded for her to continue, "Is he... is he a Kim-un-kur?"

Nana stopped for a moment, but then confirmed that he was. "He's from Moss Mountain."

The older perked up. "You mean the one that huge battle was on a long time ago?"

"Yeah. I think Senri was too young to have been in it, though. He's only sixteen or so."

Nana was waiting to see if the other had anything else to say when the man at the booth interrupted the conversation with, "What wouldja like, ladies?" When the musician looked up, he seemed to recognize her. "Oh, hey, Nell!" he said to her, "Didn't see ya amongst all these kids. They your friends?"

"I only just met them..." said Nell quietly.

"Hey, that's no problem!" he said, grinning, "Don't get all shy again on me, now!" Surprisingly, she smiled back.

After Nell took her order, Nana was the only one left. She looked up at the cook, mopping sweat off his brow with a bandana. "Do you know her?" she asked.

"Yeah, she frequents this place." said the man, "She came around a few weeks ago. She's a nice kid. Got it rough." he paused, "Hasn't been getting much from the townsfolk lately. They're putting their spare change to other things. Think they're annoyed by her Anima song."

Nana frowned.

The man suddenly looked more grave, he leaned in, like he was trying to keep what he said private. "Like I said, she's a nice kid, but you ought to be careful around her. Don't say I told ya, but I've heard that she's gotten tangled up with some of the worser folk 'round here."

"Who?" the asked, now concerned.

But the cook just asked what she'd like. Quickly defeated, the ten-year-old ordered before returning to her friends. They had picked out a bench off to the side, close to what looked like a hat shop. Cooro seemed to have gotten Nell to instruct him on playing the guitar. It was almost comical how oversized the instrument looked on him. He strummed the strings with his thumb like the young woman had shown him, and the guitar hummed in response.

"Good!" she said, "You want to try some chords, now?"

The boy nodded enthusiastically.

The musician smiled. "Alright, then. The 'A' chord should be pretty easy. You just put your first finger on the third string here..." she guided his hand to the second fret, marked by what looked like a piece of bone, "and then your middle and ring finger go on the strings next to that one. Try and keep them all in that space there, though."

Cooro did as he was said, his tongue poking out from between his lips as he concentrated on his fingers. They had surprisingly little trouble squeezing into the small space that the fret provided.

"Good, now brush your thumb across the strings like before."

Nana was surprised how quickly Nell had changed. Just a little while before, she was very quiet and nervous. Now, she didn't seem like that at all. She spoke without stuttering, and seemed very relaxed. She wondered what did it– Senri's donation, she herself welcoming her to have lunch with them... Perhaps she just liked teaching Cooro. Husky had called him a "lady-killer" many times, and the had to agree. He was much too cute for any woman to resist.

Remembering the fish Anima, she looked over to him. He sat at the end of the bench, silently watching. His eyes were fixed on Nell, scrutinizing her every move. His displeased expression and crossed arms were traits that the boy often sported, but there was something different. Nana waved it off as simply his dislike for s. But now that she was thinking of Nell, she couldn't help but glance at Senri. She knew the singer was interested in him. She wondered if he knew as well, what he thought of it. But his face was as even as it always was as he quietly observed the tutoring of his companion.

Cooro was unhappy with the way the chord was sounding. He asked if he had his fingers wrong.

"No, they're where they should be." Nell replied, "Just try pressing down harder. That should clear it up."

He did so, but when he strummed the strings, the sound still seemed dull. "It's still not right..." he said sadly.

"Here." said the musician. She put her hand over his, pressing his fingertips down.

"Ow! That hurts!" shouted the boy. Senri started at his friend's cry, but the young woman quickly released his hand. The crow Anima frowned at the dents the strings had left in his flesh.

"It always hurts in the beginning." said the singer, sounding slightly distraught at causing someone pain, "Your fingers just aren't used to the strings yet." She held out her hand to him. It was rough, with heavily calloused fingertips. "Mine are all rough like that because I play so much. When I first started, though, my fingers looked just like your's."

Cooro gazed in wonder at the female's hand for a moment, comparing it with his. Then, he turned to the guitar again. He pressed the strings until his fingertips were white. However, once he strummed them, the chord was clear. "I did it, I did it!" he cheered.

Nell smiled openly. "Great job!"

The group gave a variety of congratulations to the boy, who was simply beaming at his accomplishment. "Thanks, Nell!" he said cheerfully, "You're a really good teacher!" He returned the guitar to the instrumentalist, who carefully put it back in its case. As she did so, the boy caught sight of the small blossom again.

"Oh, that flower..." he said.

The bard looked up. "Hm?" she started, but his words quickly registered, "Oh, this. It's what grows in the valley here. I don't remember what its real name is, but a lot of the people call it a destiny daisy. There's some myth that if you pick one, you'll come back to the valley some day, and if you give one to someone else, you'll meet them again. Don't really believe in that stuff, but it's kind of interesting, I guess." She received a variety of responses.

"Yer kebabs are up!" the cook called.

Nana turned to get them, but Nell stopped her. "Let me get them." she smiled shyly, "I-It's the least I can do. You all have been so kind to me."

The girl was still for a moment, but then nodded, and went back to her friends.

"Nell is really nice." said Cooro, happily swinging his legs back and forth as he sat on the bench.

"I don't trust her."

Heads turned to Husky, who simply sat as he did before. Nana clucked her tongue at him. "Just because she's a –" she started.

"It's not because of that!" the blue-eyed boy shouted, his temper flaring. He quickly fell into a quieter tone. "Don't you think it's weird that she's so cheerful all of a sudden? It's as if she's a completely different person. And she never did answer me when I asked her about her song."

"Well, maybe she just was getting tired of questions." said Nana defensively, "Besides, she seemed to have a strong opinion about Anima– a good one." she paused, looking hopefully at Cooro, "Maybe she's a Anima, too?"

But the boy shook his head. "No... she's not."

Nana was quiet. The man's words floated through her head.

"Just another reason not to trust her." said Husky.

At this, the was roused again. "Saying you can't trust somebody because they aren't a Anima is like them saying they can't trust you because you are!" she retorted.

The boy seemed unusually angered by this. "We can't trust them because every time we have, it's turned out badly! Why do you expect this time to be any different, Nana?" He stood up, challenging her. "Well?" he asked.

Nana didn't have a reply.

It was at this time that Nell came, holding many kebabs wrapped in paper. "So, who got the..." she trailed off as she caught the tension in the air, "Uh... something wrong?"

"Nope!" said Cooro cheerfully, answering for the group.

The musician still seemed uneasy, but she took the reply. "Okay."

After a minute or so, all of the food was passed out, and the group was quiet, except for the sounds of chewing. Nell had gladly given her seat to Nana, who sat on the bench with Cooro and Husky while the singer simply leaned against the wall. There was enough wall space for her to eat beside Senri, but she chose to stand on the other side of the bench instead. She glanced at him occasionally, but mostly kept to her food. She fingered one of the gillah coins she had left over, along with some pillah. _It's not enough..._

After everyone had finished, Nell gave them tips on where jobs could be found. Most were down at the southern end of the village, where the group had first entered. However, the inn, where the musician played, was towards the northern end. So, the female found herself parting ways with them

"Are you staying at the inn, Nell?" Cooro asked just before they went.

"Well, it's the only place for a traveler _to_ stay." The singer answered, laughing quietly. It had a nervous waver, much like her voice. "Why do you ask?"

"I was thinking we might meet up there some time." the boy answered, "We might be staying for a little while. It would be nice to see you again!" Both Husky and Nana wondered wether or not they should stop him, but opted not to. They wondered what the boy was up to.

The bard's face lit up. "Uh, sure!" she said, "Maybe later today even?"

"Sure!" And so it was decided. The foursome split ways with the , planning on seeing her again in the evening when they had gotten work.

Everything that had happened seemed like a dream to Nell. It had been such a long time since she'd felt so... happy. She felt like she could do anything. They'd been so kind to her. She had to repay them, somehow. _Perhaps a song. _she thought, _Cooro said they might be around for a while_._It would give me time to make it really good._

The musician glanced back as she walked. The steam wafting from many wet roofs softened the retreating figures until they were almost silhouettes. She waited until she could barely see them before she finally turned around.

The cook quietly watched her, his head resting in one of his large, sinewy hands. He lazily turned his orders on the charcoal flame. She looked briefly to him as she passed by, smiling at him. But the man returned only a sad gaze. The singer's face fell for a moment, but then she continued on. He could hear her humming as she left his sight. He sighed, giving the skewers another turn.

"Poor kid..."


	3. 3: Things That Pay

A/N: About time, right? Finally, thing are beginning to pick up. The story only has about two or three chapters left, now. Like I said, this is only a short set of chapters, meant to play out somewhat like the stories within the +Anima series. :3 I really am glad for all of your support, and I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

Cooro, Husky, Senri, Nana, and the entire of +Anima doesn't belong to me (duh), but rather Natsumi Mukai. Kudos to her for such a great work of art and storytelling.

* * *

The sunshine in Nell's eyes quickly retreated behind the hazel mist again as she walked. It wasn't a long walk, but enough to give her time to fall back into her old habits. She sunk into her normal spot by the door of the inn. A heavy sigh escaped her lips, and for a moment, she was still, resting her heavy head against her arms. Then, she wearily opened up her case and pulled out the instrument, quietly dropping what coins she had into the now open space. The guitar twanged lazily as her fingers plucked out an old tune that quickly faded into silence. Her own worried thoughts more than filled up the space the music left open.

_Why did I do that?_, she wondered. _It was a stupid idea, going along with them. They're in danger simply because they were with me._

_But they were so kind to me!_ _I can't remember anyone being so nice to me here, other than Bill._

_I didn't deserve any of it. I still don't. Why did I arrange to meet them? I shouldn't have done that. Shouldn't have done any of that._

_Maybe I should just not show up, and they'll move on._

_No, I have a responsibility, now! I can't just let them down like that! After what they've done for me?_

_What has taking responsibility done for me? Have I forgotten why I'm stuck here in the first place?_

_What other choice do I have? I can't just run away!_

The conversation had recycled itself in her mind several times over since she came to the village, and it left her completely uninspired. It always did. It was if the female's muse had fled the valley to favor the freeness of the encircling mountains. She imagined that she could see it up there, an invisible speck on the brown and grey rocks. She often wished she could be up there with it. The girl vaguely wondered if Senri had similar thoughts before, being of a mountain people.

A chord quietly played across her fingers.

It was strange. Whenever she thought of him, she always went back to that moment when he was looking at her. She remembered vividly the way his gaze bore into her mind.

There was something different about him. Maybe it was because he was a Kim-un-kur? Or was it something else? She didn't know, and it continued to occupy her thoughts. He was so quiet, yet he seemed to have a lot on his mind behind his grey eye.

_What does a boy think of_

_When a girl crosses the street?_

_What does the girl think of_

_When he comes for her to meet?_

The words weren't from anything in particular– just some soft mumblings she uttered when no song sufficed at the time. She did it a lot when she was in towns like these, where the people didn't give requests to keep her going. In places like these, she had to keep on going with what came to her mind, and often times, she ran out of ideas. So, she'd just play idle words until her inspiration came back. Some of the noodles became songs later on, some were forgotten. Yet, neither fate did she ponder as she sang. She simply lost herself in her music, as she always did.

Music had always been her sanctuary. It wiped away all her anger, all her fear, all her sadness. If she had a choice, she would spend the rest of her life in the mountains. She'd have her own cottage in a hidden crook in the rock, and live there with her own chickens and vegetable garden and never have to go to town except when she felt like treating herself to bread or on the rare occasion that she actually wanted to be with other people. The rest of the time, she'd play her guitar to the wind and the rocks and the flowers, and the bees and her chickens and the other wildlife that decided to visit. She'd play for herself, sometimes. And maybe they'd come to visit her there. Cooro, Husky, Nana, Senri... all of them. She'd play for them, too.

_Dali, dali, da_

_Da dali, dali, da..._

_What does he think of her?_

Time seemed to pick up as a sail in a gale at that point, flying past the girl without so much as a thought in her direction. After her small dabble, a fire seemed lit within her, one she knew well, and songs came to her lips and hands faster than she could play them. They were all very old songs, she realized, back when all stories had a happy ending. She sung of the knight and the princess, the bard and his goose, the boy and his cat. She sung about great battles, great victories, the light triumphing over darkness, the finding of true love... all those things that people claim to have grown out of, but never really did. The songs people ought to listen to.

The sky was lightly blushing in the west when Nell finally ran out of steam. Resting the guitar against the wall of the inn, she stood and stretched for what seemed like the tenth time that day. She couldn't feel her behind anymore, and her wrists sounded like someone walking on small rocks when she rolled them. What's more, she didn't get a pillah for her efforts. Even so, she felt it was a good day. No burdens were upon her as she pinwheeled her arms in an attempt to get the blood back in them. It wasn't exactly like the fantasy noontime meal earlier that day, but she was still much more at peace than before she started playing. A few of the locals looked back at her with puzzled faces when she greeted them, as if it was the first time they noticed her. Some smiled back.

Yet, when the church bell rang out, her heart's joyful swell suddenly became wan. She counted the strikes.

_Ding._

_Ding._

_Ding._

_Ding._

_Ding._

The adolescent felt dread begin a sailor's knot in her gut. Five o' clock.

For a moment, she leaned against the wall, not moving. Not for the first time, she wished she never had to move. She wished she could just turn to stone right there and never have to move again. But then, the cold hands pulled hard at the knot it had made of her innards, and she slowly got on her feet again. Shakily, she got the coins from her case and replaced her guitar. Her hands threaded the leather laces through the holes in the shell with particular slowness. When she was finished, she stood, slung her instrument over her shoulder, and began walking.

The bard didn't have to think to get to where she was going. Her feet took her there on her own, giving her time to completely close herself off. She knew what was going to happen, so there wasn't any point in grieving herself over it. Her fate was sealed with the ringing bells.

Buildings passed by her. It was the north side of the city, so they were all residential. She might have remembered a few that lived in those houses, but she didn't think about it. She just wandered past them, her eyes at the ground. Slowly, the looming structures became less and less until she was out in the open, the valley stretching out before it hit the mountains in the near distance. The road curved to the right until at the foothills it came to a halt at a small manor where the mayor of the town lived with his family. She, glanced up at it briefly before turning to the left, trading the clear, tan dust of the street for a small trail barely visible in the fading light. She stepped lightly through the grass and flowers, pushing aside the occasional bush limb as she went. Eventually, a shack appeared in the distance. It looked like it had once been part of a farmer's property but had since then been abandoned. She slowly approached it.

The building stood over her in the deepening evening, seeming to loom with dark accusation. Lights flickered behind cheesecloth covering the single window. The female took a quiet breath and let it out slowly.

She rapped twice on the door at eye level, then twice lower, towards her waist. On any good door, it would have sounded the same pitch both times, but the poor cutting of the wood caused the second set of knocks to seem slightly lower.

A small square of darkness opened up briefly, then disappeared. The door opened.

"You're late."

The musician forced her heart to slow down. "I know." she said. Her voice was dead. She stepped inside.

It was if the sun had set suddenly as she entered the cabin. Only the one window provided any outside light, and it stood out as a dappled, blue square against the darkness. Candles sat on the few small tables arranged around the single room of the building. In the flickering orange light, she could make out four figures. She knew them all, boys from seventeen to twenty-one. Two sat on a table, one leaned against a wall. The eldest, Jerome, closed the door and took a place on the central table. His self radiated authority, which is no doubt what got him the title of leader of the rowdy group. He flicked a hand through his short, sand-colored hair and crossed his arms.

"So, what did you get?"

Without a word, Nell reached for her money pouch and emptied it, dropping the coins that had once been Senri's into the man's outstretched hand. She watched emotionlessly as he looked at them, his face contorting from hard scrutiny to confusion to disgust. His flinty eyes narrowed in on the female.

"That's _it_?" he asked, his voice stone.

"I'm afraid so."

He stood up, moving towards her with a powerful stride. She moved her foot to back away, but then put it back where it was. He leaned over her. "What do you mean 'I'm afraid so.'?"

"What were you expecting me to say?" she answered, looking up at him.

The man backed off for a moment. "Some excuse about how you've been in the town too long and that the villagers begin to ignore you after a while."

"I would think you've grown tired of that by know."

Jerome eyed her. "This seems to be quite the development. You're actually caring about your impression on me." his tone was critical, "Of course, it makes sense that you would like to please the one to whom to owe."

Nell swallowed, and for once, didn't think. "I paid you back a long time ago."

She instantly knew she had overstepped her boundaries, and the same thought was reflected in the young man's venomous features. "That's a bold statement." he said, "Especially considering the fact that _I say when you've paid me back_."

"I've given you at least double the price of that vase." She didn't know why she was still going forward. She knew what he could do. Yet, she couldn't stop herself. It was like the wrong step that triggered a land slide. Everything was spilling out and falling, fluid but violent at the same time. She remembered earlier in the day, when she talked about her song to the others. Senri's deep stare had triggered something, and she just started speaking and couldn't stop. But she'd just tipped that off to some Kim-un-kur spell. Did it have lasting effects?

The woman could see Jerome's face begin to flush red. "Who makes you qualified to appraise our goods?"

She found herself sneering back at him. "Isn't it obvious?" she spat, "As much as you like to play tough, you're just a bunch of miscreants. The only real wealth here is in the mayor's house, and none of you have _near_ enough guts to raid _there_."

The strike was swift; she had hardly an instant before pain exploded on the right side of her face and she was sprawled onto the harsh floor of the shack. For a moment, she was still. But then, she turned to her side, craning her neck so that she could look up at Jerome. His eyes burned like coals as he stared down at her, his gaze flowing over the bridge of his nose and dripping searing drops on her forehead. She felt like a dog, perhaps lower. But she still wasn't finished.

"I know I stole from you, which is my own fault." she said quietly, "I thought you wouldn't miss a simple clay pot. When you caught me, I saw my error and offered to work as repayment." she took in a shuddering breath, "And I have. Several times. I've probably supplied you enough gillah for two dozen clay pots. I can understand the need to punish for wrongdoing, but keeping me imprisoned here in this town... that's taking it too far. Especially when you're little more than petty thieves yourselves."

This time, she received a sharp kick in the stomach. The ground pitched and rolled, tossing her about as she tried to control herself while also cringing at the pain. She laid curled up on her side, coughing on the dirt.

It was only a moment after she got remote control over herself before she was suddenly pulled up again by her braid. She cried out at the sudden, sharp pain. She was staring Jerome in the face, one eye half-closed from the swelling.

"Let's make us a deal, shall we?" he said. The musician didn't like his tone.

"I'll set you free. You can leave in the morning and never come back, if you so choose." he sneered at the bard, "But you need to do one last thing for us."

Nell swallowed. "What?" she prompted.

The young man let go of her, and she swayed before finding support from the wall. She rubbed the part of her scalp where her braid found root. The leader paced back and forth like a hungry coyote.

"Since your serenades have failed us, then we'll have to go back to your other profession– the one that lead you to us." He directed a meaningful look at the singer, and she felt something like a spider crawling up her back. "You're going to get us another vase. But, it can't be just any old pot." He shook a finger at her. She bit her tongue, pressing herself against the wall as he leaned towards her. His leer was wide on his features. "It has to be from none other but the house of the mayor himself."

- - - -

Nana sighed as she watched Cooro devour his second meal of the evening, happily ignoring Husky's complaints.

"...already got something from the farmer earlier today!" the fish +Anima grumbled.

The foursome had found work with an older man needing work in his fields. Senri joined a few others in plowing while the other three seeded. As part of the reward, the man offered some of the stew he and his wife been making; a huge pot of the stuff had been sitting on the fire for a good part of the day. They gladly accepted, not remembering that they had scheduled a meeting (most likely involving a meal) with Nell after they were finished working for the day. Even after realizing their mistake, Nana didn't want to let the young woman down and insisted that they still go. She suggested that they could still sit in the common room of the inn with Nell, despite the fact that they already had eaten.

"We weren't going to not show either way, Nana." said Husky, sounding remarkably calm for his apparent distrust of the musician.

When the bat +Anima looked up at her companion, his returned expression was that of mixed feelings layered heavily with apathy. He crossed his arms at her. "Count it as a chance to prove your point."

And yet, wait as they did, the bard didn't come. Cooro _eventually_ succumbed to suggestion by one of the waitresses and was served his second meal of the day. The boy was determined to try the apple pie, but Huksy (with difficulty) kept his friend's gluttony in check. They passed the time with idle banter and a few games they had picked up from each other on their journey. As the sun passed behind the mountains, however, the group became more restless.

Finally, as the chapel bells chimed their sixth note, Nana couldn't stand it any longer. She stood from her seat, gaining attention from the three boys. "Something's wrong." she said, "I know we didn't set a specific time with her, but she still should have come here before now! It's dangerous to be outside at night."

"Nana, calm down. The sun hasn't completely set, yet." Husky scolded her.

"No, I won't calm down!" the girl balled her fists, "Something horrible could have happened, and we wouldn't have even known!" Frantically, she darted out the door.

"Nana!"

It took the fish +Anima to the middle of the road outside for him to finally catch up to her. He caught her by her coat and turned her to face him. Her eyes were glossy and shined in the waning sunlight. "Why are getting so upset about this?" the boy asked, "She probably just changed her mind about seeing us today."

"But none of the workers said they haven't seen her since she left earlier this evening!" the female exclaimed, "Even if she didn't want to be with us anymore, she would have at least come here to sleep! Where else could she be?"

Nana could feel Husky clenching his fists through the fabric of her coat. He looked down at her, his mouth set in a sharp frown. He seemed to want to say something, but was having trouble trying to. His frustration was clear in his eyes.

"Nell."

The bat +Anima suddenly whirled towards Senri, who was kneeling on the ground next to the door of the inn. He stood up, appearing to have something in his hand, though the girl couldn't see it clearly. She walked up closer. "What is it, Senri?" she asked.

Eventually Nana was close enough to see the object. It was a flower, small, with five round, yellow petals. Its green stem was slightly bent, and the edges of the petals were beginning to dry, but it seemed to be in relatively good condition.

"Nell." said the teenager again.

Suddenly, the girl understood. It was the flower that Nell had carried in her guitar case, the one she said was called a destiny daisy. But why would she just leave it laying in the dirt when she had taken such good care of it before?

Cooro seemed to comprehend the situation much more quickly, and he looked up at Nana with large eyes set into a startlingly somber face. His voice was quiet as he spoke. "She's gone. She left."


End file.
